I wasted last night trying to deal with a pretty nasty virus/spyware/malware/trojan or whatever they are calling it these days on my computer. I watched it shut down my computer right in front of my eyes without any input from me. Upon restart, I could no longer open any web browsers. On top of that, a (fake) Windows Firewall warning came up, which directed me to buy some (fake) anti-spyware software. Who knows what private information was sent out. Sigh, if only such powers were used for good instead of evil…
I usually use AVG Free but it didn’t catch anything, even after a safe reboot and complete computer scan. Anyway, it forced me to update my knowledge of the best freeanti-virus software out there. Here’s what I found, let me know if you know of something better.
Anti-Spyware Freeware
The three most popular seemed to be SuperAntiSpyware, MalwareBytes Anti-Malware Basic, and Ad-Aware Free.
I basically just downloaded them all and had them all scan my computer. MalwareBytes and SuperAnti both detected different malwares, and helped me regain control of my computer. By the time I ran Ad-Aware, there was nothing left to detect. Most of the free versions are “on-demand” only, which means you have to manually run them when you need them.
Anti-Virus Freeware
The three that I tried were Avast! Home, Avira Antivir Personal, and AVG Free.
I don’t like the Avast! interface, but Avira and AVG seem to be decent free options, even though AVG didn’t save me initially. Avira crashed my computer while running the full scan, but I suspect it was because AVG was running at the same time. I think I’ll keep Avira and AVG running on my computer.
For more details and opinions, I found page at Gizmo’s to be the best compilation of freeware options.
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Thanks for the update, I hope you did not lose too much time or info during this crash. I also left Symantec’s Bloatware and started using AVG Free last year on my wife’s computer, which did freeze up last night for the first time. We had to do a hard boot to recover.
One to add to your Anti-Spyware Freeware: I have always trusted SpyBot Search&Destroy. Completely free (not a watered down version) and includes TeaTimer to monitor for registry changes.
You need to be aware that many anti-virus suites do not work well together. Every tech I’ve ever worked with recommends only running one and only one. They will often remove each other files rendering both worthless.
Oh no!
Maybe you should invest in a Mac as your next computer.. 🙂
avast is the best anti-virus, anti-spyware software out there. don’t let the interface to discourage you from using it.
I also use Spybot Search & Destroy and have always found it to be very useful. It is able to add immunizations (blocks) to your web browsers to reduce problem sites, and it seems to catch different problems than other spyware programs do. That’s my one complaint about spyware software: you have to have more than one!
There is a difference between antivirus and antimalware software. Thus, the need to have both running. It sounds like you had a malicious program since it referred you to a website promoting a product, which may have been why the antivirus didn’t detect it. Sounds like you’re protected now…
MalwareBytes does a very cool job at cleaning the viruses. You will need to keep updating it and running it manually though. The solution to your virus was the folder (C or D)/Documents and Settings/Local Settings/Application Data/Google. You would have three files one dll, one exe and another file. You just need to delete those to get going. Another form of this virus doesnt even let you install any anti-virus softwares like malwareBytes.
Look no further than Spybot S&D, Avast, and Crap Cleaner.
AVG Free is what I use.
I also had a similar experience with my Windows XP while running the free version of AVG last month. My machine became unresponsive and started giving me pop-ups about buying anti-spyware/virus programs. IE and firefox kept crashing but everything else “seemed” fine. This is the first time I had serious virus problems. Thankfully I had been preparing for something like this and had all my my things backed up (pictures, music, important docs/emails, etc). I reformatted and now I use a proprietary antivirus program that my work offers for free when I have to use Windows. It’s sad that things like this happen, especially for people that have to use Windows for compatibility issues. I used to take pride in not using proprietary antivirus software, not anymore. The game plan that I am using now is a dual boot computer, using Linux for all of my banking online activity and Windows for the necessary programs that I need to run. It seems to be working for now. I have found that nothing is “bullet proof”, even the Apple OS. I just try to have important things backed up on cds/dvds kept in a fireproof/waterproof lock box and online in google docs/photos. Maybe running an Apple OS or Linux with a virtual machine running Windows would be one more line of defense.
Avast works great for me.
One thing you need to consider is features. Certain free security programs come with critical necessities such as rootkit detection, but others make you pay for the upgrade if you want them.
AVG is a great, free antivirus, but it’s handicapped by a lack of rootkit detection (unless you pay). Most of the others, including Avast, include this feature by default.
I wrote a brief guide with more info on this topic here: 5 Free Antivirus Programs Worth Using.
Sorry for your troubles, I had a similar thing happen to me. I am not tech savy at all and was too lazy to fix it, so I finally caved and invested in a Mac. Good luck!
What a timely post! I had this exact problem last night. I don’t even know if I can download these since my browser doesn’t seem to be working but will try … Maybe I need to download in a different machine and then use it on my infected computer.
Glary Utilities is an excellent piece of freeware that cleans up your computer and registry.
I like Spyware Blaster, too. If you update regularly, it will prevent your browser from opening many malicious programs in the first place.
You can also download the latest version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus. It’s a live CD that runs before Windows starts, so it can be useful against particularly nasty programs.
These are all free programs
The only thing worst than a computer virus, is anti-virus software.
The best setup that I can think of is to have virtual machines. You need a pretty decent hardware and you setup a machine where you trust most of the files, you browse to safe sites and another one that is for trying our anything that goes. If you get a virus or malware just delete the virtual machine and clone another brand new one.
Have you ever tried SpyBot Search and Destroy? I think it’s the best spyware removal tool.
http://www.spybot.info/
I practically have made a business out of installing SpyBot and AVG on friend’s PCs. Obviously, I don’t charge for the software just my time. =)
Sorry, can’t offer any real help on this one. I would say be like Fern and get a Mac. 🙂
Just thought I’d update: I used Super Anti-Spyware (free version) and it worked like a charm!!
This is what I have installed:
AVG Free
Ad-Aware
Spybot Search and Destroy
Threatfire
Zonealarm
They all work together nicely.
I’m an IT Manager and have nearly 10 years experience with this sort of thing. The best free products to do the job change from year to year. It used to be Adaware & Spybot for spyware removal, and AVG for antivirus…however that has changed now.
The two programs best for what you mentioned above are:
Spyware Removal – MalwareBytes Anti-malware
Antivirus – Clamwin Free Antivirus
Just trust me on this one…it’s what I do.
Two additional tools you’ll want to use are Ccleaner (deletes all your unneeded temp files) and Defraggler to defragment your hard drive files & lengthen the life of your hard drive.
Use these four programs in conjunction and you’ll be good to go.
Also…USE FIREFOX and you won’t get infected! Use of IE as a browser is the main way users get infections in the first place simply because nearly all the spyware currently written is written to exploit the security vulnerabilities in IE.
PS…all 4 of those are free too.
DebtFREEk!
I trust Spybot S&D more than any of the three you listed. Out of curiosity, what was the problem? For very malicious viruses, trojans, etc., I’d suggest wiping the hard drive and reinstalling Windows, as antivirus programs are always playing catchup and are often unable to clean your computer completely. Or better yet, switch to Mac or Linux! 🙂
If you are looking for online assistance in the removal of this bug or assurance that it is gone, I have found http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/, and their forums to be helpful. There is a lot of general information posted there as well. If you are looking to move out of freeware antivirus, I would personally recommend NOD32 from eset.com as it is relatively light on system resources, and performs well in antivirus tests.
You can actually get AVG PAID for free for 10 years. Yes, this is for the full retail version ( I couldn’t believe it myself either) but it works and it’s legit.
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/10/27/free-working-license-key-serial-to-activate-avg-anti-virus-8-till-2018-10-years-subscription-expiry/
You may want to try Comodo Firewall in addition to your antivirus/spyware software. Comodo can be annoying at times(turn off notifications), but at least you’ll know whats going on with your system, I believe they also have a free antivirus. You may also want to consider using a different browser like Opera(my favorite) or Firefox instead of IE7.
The Avast! boot time scan works wonders.
I usually back up my data around twice a month and keep a fresh install image/ghost of my C: partition with Windows and programs. It takes about 10-15 minutes to restore an image, which is much less than the time it takes to locate and remove the virus or malware.
Guys, Macs have viruses and trojans too. It’s all proportional to usage.
Use Ubuntu, way less virus and trojan trouble than either Mac or Win.
I bought a new computer a couple of months ago. My old one was 8 years old, so it was time. I had been using AVG on my old one, but decided to spring for Trend antivirus & spyware, on sale for $30. I installed it on the old computer first, and it found 182 threats and viruses that AVG hadn’t taken care of. Although I am the first one in line for free, I just wanted to take extra care to protect my investment. Anyone have any opinions about Trend? I’d like to know if anyone has compared it to some of the online free software. I have used Trend in the past, and was very satisfied, but would like to know if there is really a free deal that is just as good.
I would stay away from any free anti-virus/anti-malware program. They dont really work. Once you are infected by something like you describe, you can never be sure that you have completely removed it. Your best bet is to do a clean OS install. I agree with Andy that the best thing to do is create an image after your system has been reinstalled. That way you can always just restore that clean image if that happens again. I think the best way to deal with that stuff is just to backup your data often, make sure your system is always up to date with patches, and be sure to connect to the internet through a router with the firewall secured. Worst case scenario you have to spend 30 minutes restoring a clean image, restoring your data, and reinstalling any recent programs. You wont have to depend on programs that themselves often invade and slow your system down, and most of the time don’t even work.
My personal favorite free antivirus program is ClamAV. The Windows version can be downlaoded from: http://www.clamwin.com/
I’m with Mario- Comodo (http://www.comodo.com/) is an excellent (free) product you may want to add to the list.
I think Avast is the best.
If you are enrolled in an university, you might be able to get a free copy of the anti-virus software used on campus. Just ask. It is enterprise grade and really good.
One option that I believe is still available is to get free boxed McAfee, Norton, Panda, and/or full version AVG from buying tax software. Every year, Office Depot and Staples give away a ton of free software with purchase of Tax Cut or TurboTax with mail-in rebates. This year, I bought a $20 Tax Cut program, and was able to get $250 in free software (after rebates), including anti-virus. I sold the TaxCut on Craig’s List for $15, so I was out $5, plus tax and the cost of stamps. Probably about $25 total – but now I have anti-virus, a PDF creator/editor, language lesson software, a webpage creator, DVD burning software, etc. Well worth $25 bucks. And if you’re going to use the tax software anyway (this is the first year I’ve hired an accountant), it’s really worth it.
Sorry, accidental double post – please delete.
If you want to avoid malware/viruses perform in this order. 1.) Stop using using AntiVirus and AntiMalware software to feel safe. 2.) Update your operating system and other software to most recent version on a regular basis. 3.) Do not sign into your computer with an account that has administrator privileges. 4.) Stop automatically clicking the OK button and actually read what it is asking you to do. 5.) Stop clicking and opening every attachment and link someone sends you or gives you. 6.) Do not download executables (files) from websites you are not familar with.
You can find different interfaces here: http://www.avast.com/eng/skins.html
I use Avast! on all of my clients PC’s with out any issues. The boot scan abilty alone makes it a worthwhile install for any PC.
On the other hand, I’m going to try the free suite “Comodo Internet Security 3.8 Beta 2”, Which includes everything:
Firewall – Safe Mode.
Defense+ – Safe Mode & Proactive Security
Antivirus – Heuristics set to High.
Memory Firewall – Enabled.
ThreatCast. – Enabled
Only 2 Processes:
cfp.exe (GUI)
cmdagent.exe (Heart of the Suite)
Total Memory Usage: 4,072K
I agree with Rubin & Stephen. I also use Ad-Aware
I use a paid service called “stop sign” from a group called eAccelleration. They have a ton of bad reviews out there, but I dont know why. I have used them for about 2 years. I think they are pretty good.
I like them because in addition to their products which include a firewall, anti-virus and spam-ware, they have free support if you get infected.
I paid for 2 years in advance which worked out to about $7 / month and have had about 3 infections during that time. My 2 years ends in March 2009 and Ill likely renew. They take from 1 day to sometimes 3 to 5 days to fix infections.
Also like people before me have mentioned, stop using IE and use Firefox instead.
Finally if it were possible to catch a virus creator, my vote would be to send them to jail in Iraq or Turkey for a minimum of 10 years.
If you are truly paranoid about it, you could always install VMWARE on a Linux box and run your Windows install as a VM, that way you take a snapshot which you can restore to in the event of an infection. Another good prevention technique is a good firewall and running Firefox with NoScript installed.
How come no one mentioned Windows Defender, the free software built into Windows (so you don’t even have to go online to download and install it as you would do with other free software)? I also use Windows Firewall. At first I used both Win Firewall and Zonealarm, but then found they conflict, so I removed Zonealarm (which, amazingly, disabled WFirewall automatically!).
I use no antivirus whatsoever. I only do so at work as I have to. I never used antivirus software before. In the past several years I had 0 infections (I know as I had routine checks, hehe :).
I keep a virtual machine (VirtualBox, VMWare, etc) for risky browsing). The trusted machine runs only FireFox and Opera and I only go to bookmarked websites that I visit frequently.
This is an old machine (8 years) and it still runs smoothly.
Well you pay what you get. I would not trust free anti virus because there is no incentive for them to provide a great product. Since I am conducting all my financial transactions online; I would prefer to pay and get a good antivirus product rather than have someone steal my passwords.
John,
You’re kidding right? Some of the best offerings in anti-virus and malware prevention/cleaning is free. You are obviously not an I.T. person…in 9 yrs. Avast Home [FREE] has never failed me…and I go to some dark places on the net free time to time…I’ve actually had to replace paid suites like McAffee and Norton on clients PC’s because they didn’t catch torjans and other nasties…
I’m an IT guy in a multi-platform business. I own a Mac, that should tell you something.
Just a few tips from an IT expert:
Uninstall all unneeded/unknown programs
Uninstall all antivirus programs except for the one you wish to use
I highly recommend Avast Home and SpyBot. Just use the recommended setting on Avast and let it run! Use the immunize function on SpyBot and it will automatically block known malware sites and sites that could harm your computer.
On the OS level I would recommend setting up a restricted account for everyday use. Using several layers of security should keep you safe.
Hey Jonathan,
I do tech support part time (most of the time dealing with the nasty stuff you got) and I can confirm that your list pretty much covers the best freeware programs out there. I do have one tip I hope you find helpful. While it’s perfectly fine to have multiple antispyware programs on your computer, it is NOT advisable to have more than one antivirus running. This is because AV programs often conflict with each other while running and pose problems down the line. Feel free to do a Google search of this issue to get confirmation. I’m very positive with this aspect. Furthermore, I have used all 3 of the AV programs you listed and my personal favorite is Avira. AVG was great also but I find that Avira has a better detection rate. Good luck and if you want to be even more careful, I’d recommend installing a third party firewall program to monitor the traffic going in and out of your computer. The built-in Windows firewall is decent but there are better free third party options out there.
Good luck and always remember to back up!
Didn’t read through other comments, so sorry if this is a repeat post. But I had the exact same problem/virus/malware. Download Malwarebytes on to a flash drive (from another computer since your web browser won’t work), and then install onto infected computer. Took a few tries, but it worked for me. I then proceeded to purchase Trend Micro’s PC-cillin and I have been virus free for a month!
I find this information to be very useful. I like to use free anti virus programs on my computer but I didn’t realize how many are free. This is great, thank you for the tip!
When my system was infected with the trojan virtumonde. The preinstalled Macafee firewall, antivirus and firewall was totally ineffective as were paid versions of Spyware Doctor and Spysweeper. Using another computer, I used Yahoo answers ilknur K who suggested using Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware and VundoFix. I downloaded the program to a flashdrive and loaded it to the infected system. After a full system scan and restart, the virtumonde was completely gone. I didn’t even have to use Vundofix. I now have ZoneAlarm, Kaspersky, CounterSpy And ofcourse Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware. Now, when I hear about any protection software, I look for the reviews from techies, such as yourselves. The reviews from users and techies regarding Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware was so postive, I purchased the protection license. The ONLY “negative” was it scanned too slowly.
when trying to run malwarebytes and then avira (not at the same time) i get a message that …
“the set up files are corrupted. please obtain a new copy of the program.”
What is happening? i thought i downloaded the most recent version…
Get Linux, it’s a free operating system that will make your system run faster, no spyware or virsus. I’ve been running Linux for years now and 99% of people I know would be better off with Linux than windows.
But for windows spybot I use for spyware and avira for virsus.
You can run a liveCD of ubuntu and it won’t touch your harddrive, so what do you have to loose? It will run slower and it will run on your CDROM using RAM and when you reboot everything is flushed, so it doesn’t effect your windows system.
You should test it out to see if it will meet your needs.
I’d like to add: on top of the great information on this blog, it’s a great idea to run your anti-virus and anti-malware programs in safe mode. This ensures that anything attached to windows files that are in use in normal mode get cleaned.
Hey
In general when you are trying to get rid of spyware/trojans, it is not a good idea to use *any* software on the system that is actually infected. Try a boot CD (Look for one from BitDefender, it works very well). I had the same problem, unfortunately the solution is not an easy one. Copy only the data that you need to an external USB hard drive, re-image the system and copy the data back (after scanning it of course). I have usually found the software from Comodo to be very good.
I had to go through this exact same process last week due to a trojan and I think I am pretty clean now after going through everything I mentioned above. Now my system has the Comodo Internet security (Firewall + Antivirus) and has the Comodo BoClean.
Since I mooch off your knowledge, let me know if I can return the favor with computer stuff 🙂 Good Luck.
Avast is the very best Free Anti-Virus software you can get, yet it was dismissed just because the author did not like the interface. How foolish that statement is. You looking for pretty or do you want a program that works. Avast just does what it is supposed to do, and does it better than any other free anti-virus program. For me that seems way more important that how it looks. But I guess I am just being logical.
Johnny Says:
February 5th, 2009 at 7:24 am
“Guys, Macs have viruses and trojans too. It’s all proportional to usage.
Use Ubuntu, way less virus and trojan trouble than either Mac or Win.”
This is totally untrue. There has never been a real world virus released for the Mac OS. Ubuntu uses the Unix system the same thing the Mac uses. Johnny needs to get his facts straight. Mac usersa do not even run any anti-virus or spyware software. Just ask any Mac user who is not a paroniod former Windows user and you will get the real facts. You need no protection with a Mac. But the question was from a Windows user and they did not ask about Mac or Linux.
I have had good success with Ad-Aware. I think you need to have a few different packages to really get all the spyware off of your system. Thanks for the list.
Once you can get past some of the glitches, for windows users Windows Defender is the best free Anti-Spyware software. It has a real-time scanner that runs in the background and it updates the definitions every few days or so. Some of the other packages w/real-time scanners may be better but they’re not free, so if you can afford them go for it but for most Windows Defender is good enough.
Zone Alarm is the best free firewall, from the tests I’ve seen, and the fact that it is used by so many and still holds it’s reputation.
My cable company gives me free anti-virus software, Computer Associates. It’s not the best but its good enough, has a real time scanner and updates itself.
That is my setup – ZA firewall, WinDefend antispyware and CA antivirus. Note that ZA wont install with CA installed. CA wil give a warning with ZA installed but will still install, so install it first if you plan on using them together.
The key with all of this stuff is not neccesarily what package is best, but which ones 1.)have real time scanners, and 2.) update w/new definitions regularly. Because it doesn’t matter if it isnt running or updated.
I use Avast, but Avira is great also, Online Armor for my firewall (the paid version has a great online banking mode), SuperAntiSpyware, Spybot and Returnil (this is an awesome Free virtual drive program) it allows you to do whatever you want, even download viruses and other crap on purpose, then just restart your computer, and its gone. It also includes a virtual drive to save things that you want to keep after your next reboot. And whoever said that paid is better, is obviously making money from it!
As long as they work well together i.e. the right combo then free av/anti spyware progs are fine. I had the very non free norton av prog running when I had a nasty zombie attack.
Luckly I had AVG free recently installed and lo and behold AVG caught 120 trojan downloaders immediatly while norton detected one.
So do the math, nuff said got rid of norton brought on board avast, spybot and a squared (which nobody has mentioned?) all free and to this day they`re hand in glove and working fine and dandy.
Also use a guest account for the web for added security.
Hey Everyone,
Been reading all of this stuff, cuz I had a Hp that I had for 4 yrs with Bit defender on it and when I switched to verizons fios internet my PC crashed big time. Took it in to be repaired and My pc guy couldn’t do a thing with it.
I got a used one while having a new one built, and It was finished in Jan 09. It has Bit defender total security. Spy bot search and destroy, and C cleaner. And to be honest with you I do the same things on my PC I do every day, limited amount of sites, hardly download any music, Bid defender has blocked 3 virus’s from my pc so far, but yet I’ve had to wipe my PC already once, since I got this thing built cuz I keep having troubles with it. Last week I used it for about a hr. to check my website sales, paypal and ebay and then turned it off, and the next day I turned it on and once yahoo messenger loaded it restarted itself. Well ok I thought, but then it did it again, and again and again..I called a friend and she said to start it in safe mode which I did but it did no good. After trying about 20 times I turned it off and walked away. So I really needed to process some sales I knew I had gotten durning the day so I got on my son’s pc and it wouldn’t get online. Still won’t. So I’m like Frigg and starting to get upset cuz that bit defender ran me $79.99 and it’s supposed to be the best and all that. So anyways I went back to my “New” pc and turned it on and it worked.. Fine for 3 hrs then started restarting itself again. (and durning this time I ran a full system scan and bit defender didn’t find any virus. I also ran Ccleaner and it came up with 13 registery issues but that was all. I didn’t run spybot at the time cuz it really freezes up my pc if I’m doing anything else at the same time and I needed to process those sales, So My friend stopped by the next day, and helped me work on my PC, we ended up haveing to restore back a month but it took, from 8 am till 2:30 pm to get it to stay on long enough to get it to restore. Then it worked. It’s been running fine, But my friend says I should wipe my system again, and start over.. But I am really tired of loosing things with this new PC. I put everything last time on a 16 GB flash drive to back it up and when I went to put it back on my pc the flash drive gave me the message my flash drive needed to be formatted. Did I want to do that now.. So I lost everything of course.
What am I doing wrong? What should I be doing different? Is bit defender the problem? Is it the fios?
I run both IE8 and foxfire… Foxfire won’t remember my passwords, and always asks me, and it bugs me. Other then that I like it. But it’s crashed on me a couple times and I am now using the beta version of it. I am running a asus board with 2.4 (I think dual processer, with 3 GB of ram DVD-CD RW, and CD-RW, All in one card reader, Digital temp controls, 3 fans, and 450 PS. It runs around 76-79 degrees. So what could be my issue? Anyone have any idea’s?
You have a great computer. Dump Bit Defender as it for sure is not protecting you. You want the very best Anti-Spyware you can get then get Webroot Spysweeper. You want the very best Anti-Virus you can get, for free, then Get Avast. Ignore all those people who tell you, if it is free it is no good. That is bull! Avast is just as good as anything you can buy. Malwarebytes is also a great free anti-spyware program. Run Avast, Malwarebytes, Windows Defender, and the paid for Webroot Spysweeper. Also run Web Of Trust (WOT). With all these running plus a good firewall you are about as protected as you can be. I run all of these and have not had an infection in over 3 years.
Paige,
I think it’s unusual to have so many computer crashes on different computers. Perhaps it’s some software or site you are using that is buggy or unstable. Not all problems are due to malware.
I think you should get a computer tech to help you rebuild your computer with a very clean, simplified configuration, where you only install and use the software you need. They should also help you to establish a good backup and recovery routine. A good imaging or backup application in conjunction with an external hard drive can accomplish this fairly effectively. An excellent and affordable application is Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Desktop Edition, which images the entire system and can restore it quickly and easily.
As I recall all my issues started after I switched to fios thru verizon. Before that I had comcast dsl.
I got a copy of vista ultimia and I am going to go buy another 160 GB HD and put the VU on it and back up my other HD onto the new one then I am going to deleate my XP and Vista on my HD in my pc now and see if that helps.
I also turned off my Bit defendr and downloaded the Avast virus protection the free one to see what it came up with.
But I must be doing something wrong cuz, I have tried to run the virus scan 3 times now and I will run the scan, come back 10 hrs later and it’s like only done 16%.. I don’t have time to sit around and wait for this to run. So I left it on when I went to bed last night and when I got up in the morning it had only done 9% of the scan.
It is again scanning and has been since midnight and it’s at: 17%… Does it take this long for you guys? Is the display just a little retangle, very hard to find stuff on it.
I downloaded google chrome cuz IE8 and firefox are not reliable anymore. Half the time IE* won’t open or it takes 4 windows to get one to work and it takes a good 5-10 minutes to open. This is with only the virus protection loaded. I have everything turned off unless I run something.
Firefox keeps giving me the error, its running you must close it,, but its no wheres on my pc period. So I finally got it off of my pc and reloaded a older version of it and it worked 2 days then wam, nothing.. Won’t open unless u click on the mail sign in yahoo messenger. So since I can’t count on either of these to work I downloaded google chrome. But its kinda simple, haven’t quite figured it out yet. I usally let my history stay in my address bar so I don’t have to search ect. where I want to go and the google chrome doesn’t save that stuff as far as I can tell so far. I guess we will see what happens after I get the 2nd hard drive. As I was typing a siren went off and that avast said it has detected a virus.. win 32… But it said that this afternoon also when I turned my pc on and it said recommend move to chest so I did, and now its done it 3 times since writing this. Is there a virus on this site maybe? I have only backed up my system on a flash drive before and it will only back up certain things of course. Before I opened my shop it really wasn’t nessacery, but now it is. SO I have to figure it out. I met a fellow at the rodeo grounds the other day and somehow we got to talking about PC’s and he said he could help me out with it but I am leary of leting just anyone work on it. Only guy around here is Joe, and when he takes it he has it for 3 weeks to a month at a time and that just doesn’t work for me. ANyways I have to head out to feed. Thanks for the advice.
Paige
I forgot to mention the only way I can get to this site is thru IE8 and since it’s not working properly it’s hard to get to this site.. Google chrome doesn’t save sites, neither does foxfire. SO it’s in my favorites on IE8.
IE8 also doesn’t switch to other sites since downloading avast. It pops up scrip blocked when i try to go to another website, the only way to get around it is to open another IE8.. Not a tab has to be a whole new Explorer.
Does anyone know how to turn that script blocker off on advast?
Thanks,
Paige
hi Paige,
These issues have to do with geographical location. Where do you live?
luic
I live in NW Oregon Luic.
I got rid Of IE8 and foxfire both. tried foxfire alone after uninstalling it reinstalled and still wouldn’t work but shows it in my end task window saying it’s running.
Anyways now using IE7 pro. And a couple crashes, but nothing more. I am beggenning to think I have a unreliable system.
Just a quick note of THANKS! — This is the first time I have blogged? Writted in forums before but this has been so helpful. I copied the info. I thought I might need and I’ll print it. I need to figure out how to start in Safe mode, how to do a back up onto a CD… too much information to fit! That might sound stupid to those of you (everyone) who has done it before but I haven’t. Any help or suggestions would be very much appreciated.
I’m having problems with my computer turning off and then back on. Sometimes it will stay on for hours and hours, other times 5 – 10 minutes. It will not let Malaware-Bytes run, or the latest Windows Malware removal tool run. They get to a certain point and it turns off. Very Frustrating! Started having problems a month ago with Ctr./Alt/Delete ERROR: The Task Manager has been disabled by the Administrator. I did get that resolved, but two days ago it has re-appeared.
Had AVG8 anti-virus Uninstalled it yesterday.
Using XP pro.